Improvement in grain and grass harvesters



".NITED TATES ATnN-r rrr-CE;

EMAKIM n. Foensmor BUFFALo, New Youn.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. R23@ L Med Alll 17,155i T o'all'whom it mayconc'crp: Y

Be itknown `that 1, ELIAKIM B. FoRBUsH, of the cityot Buiialo, inthecounty ot' Erie and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and.usefulf Improvements. upon Grain and Grass .Harvesting Machines;- and-Ido hereby declare' that the following is afull and exact vdescription otsaid improvements, reference the letters ot reference marked thereon.

The ynat-nre of my. invention and improvementsconsists@ e `1Fi'rst. Ult'an improved form 'of frame for grain aii-d`grassjharvestingfmachines,"which improvements are designed to accomplish thef lthree following as the ,mostfimport'ant purl-ioses.: first, a sidedelivery of thegrain in *rearof the frame., the grain being raked ofi'in nearly'a. direct iine across the platform, while thecutting apparatusis sustained under or vnearly under the axial line of the drivingwheel;second, to strengthen and brace the frame against the lateral andtwisting strain ofthe finger-bar when'cutt'ing grass; third,

`the. extension ot' the frame suiiicient to meetv i thefilrger-'bnr andcutters at a convenientdistance from thedriving-wheel to connect thecutters to the'crank-shntlt by u connecting-rod ot'rordinarylength, thelinger-bar being made short to equal the length, or nearly so, ot' the.

cutter-ba..

Se`cond..An improved pillow-block to stippor't the gearing at ornear thecenteriotvthe dri'fving-whcelund above the frame of the ma- ,eiiilj with'the crank-shaft-.standi-ng in a per- ],iendlcularpositon and extendingbelow the tranne. l

. he'ng had-to the accompanying drawings and Third. Ari-improvedl andnew manner ofcoustructing and connecting thegrain-platformto .thetiuger-bar and tramefso that the same'tin-v ger-bar and `cnttersused formowing grass mayl also be used for reaping grain, the construction andcombina-tion being such` that the platform, finger-bar., and enttersxnaybe'raised V'anddepressed together and sustained at the `properamldiii'erent heights-required for .cnt-

ting grain.

Fourth. A new y nation with the pillow-block and gearingtor the purposeot' holdinglthe main bevel-wheel in or out of geur with the bevel-pinionon the crankshafttl f Fifth. Several improvements uponthecla-mp patentedto me on the. 20th dey of July, 1852,

form of gear-key, in combi- Vis about fonri'cet two inches inlenghth,

which improvements, in part,` consist in mais upper or clamping part,which locks in und is` bolted to therunner and compresses theiinger-bar, is also inode to rise perpendicnlarlyinstead of.obliquely,as heretofore, and meet the cross timber of the trame near the axialline of the driving-wheel, as hereinafter more "fully set forth.

Sixth'. An 'improven'ient or several improvements in theguard-ingerpatented to mc on the 20th day oi'dnly, 18,52, which improvef ment-sIare hereinafter lully described.

Seventh. An improvement in the outside shoe, by which an opening andrecess are made in the shoeand behind the blind-tooth, which works inche shoe to. facilitate the discharge ot' the iine grass or'ot-hersubstance which may be drawn in to-the shoe in the opera-tion ot' thcmachine.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l.will proceed to delscribeits'construction and operation in the several44particulars 'which I claim as my Aimprovements.

The improvement in the frameiconsists principally in itsi'orm. The rearcross-timbe13X, Fig. 1, instead ot' crossing theparallelbedtimbers Z andZ e at right angles, ,as'fcnmerl is brought in on un oblique anglesntl'ieiont to meet the. line ot' the axle of thedrivi'ng- \vheel atabout two feet nine inches i'romthe plane `of the dri ving-wheel. Theparallel hed-timber .Z is about fonrfeet longg'and Z e is about. t'onrfeet seven inches. The front crosstimher, X y, The size of these timbersis four hyliveinchels, andv may he varied according' to circumstances.A' short brace-timber, B r, Fig. 7, vis t'ramed'into the bed-timber Z atright in'iglestheretof'nud extedstill it meets .thetimbcrX, und isbolted thereto; The timbers X und B r are beveled at theirintersections, corresl-)onding to the any glesi on which they meet, sothat their beveled facescome together, forming atgoo'd joint, as E,seenat a b 0, Fig. 7. The parallel bed-timbers Z and Z e are framed into therear cross-titnber,

X, and also bolted toit by meansi' sunk nuts in Z and Z c and' boltsthrough X.. The short brace-timbewBr is framed in andljolted to Z inthesame mnner. The .front cross-timber, X y, is 'notcbjfd onto Z and Ze, and also bolted, as seen at ddd, Fig. 1. By this arrangement andconstruction of theframel obtain a frame which is-convenienl-ly adaptedto the elevationand depressionlot' the finger-bar and cutters bymea-usci' the clamp herein described. I also gain an extension of thetimbers of the frame suiiicient to meet and connect with the ringer-barand cutters at a suitablei'distance from the driving-wheel to connectthe cutters to the crank-shaft by a conrectingfrod of ordinary length,the Yfinger-intrbeing made short to "equal the length, or nearly souci'the cutterbar. It also enables Llne to tie andv bind the frame togetherby means of the clamp hereinafter described and the pole .b c d, to,which the horses are attached, the pole being bolted to the timbers X yand B r and between the driving-wheel and.' clamp. This arrangement alsogives suiiicient strength and permanence to the frame to resist thelateral and twisting strain of thetinger-barnpon the frame and tocounteractthesidedrattuponthehorses. An-. other object ot this 'positionof the rear cross* t-tixn'ljer, X, is to take the timbers' of the frameoat/of the nay7 ofthe grain and obtain room to rake oigtlrefgrain at theside ofthe platform and in Fear. et' the lframewhile a comparativelyl'narrotir platform is used, andthe finger-bar .and cutters maintain acentral position relatively to the driving'wheel. 1t' the timber X'shouldcross the-parallel timbers Zand Z e at right angles, asheretofore, or as represented in rnypatent otJuly 20, 1852, while thecutters maintained their position neartlie center ot' the driving-wheel,the timber would be in the way of theremoval ofthe grain at the side,u n

less the platform were made much wider or ot" a circular form land thegrain removed in a circular sweep across the, platform; but withl bedescribed in another application. With the' narrowplatform and thecutters in their cel fraiposition herein described, the machipe isrtmchbetter adapted to passing over uneven Jground or tocrossingtheiinishjngordraining arrows 1n thc plowed lands.

Thepillowlblock B Vis a cast-'iron frame for the purpose otsupportingthe gearing above` 'crank-shaft.

lbolts which pass through the'jo'din'll'c and its cap may also` passthrough t e ti ber i Z; and thusrhold iirxnly again the frame et' themachine', at the center of the drivingwheel, a perspective view of whichis given in Fig. 4'. Ithas three feet ,i bearings on the'frameiot' 'themachine, (twofo'tr which -are seen at fifa) through which it isbolted tothe frame. It also hasi'our pillars, m m m m, rising a' suticient heightto brngrtbe spurpinion @,j'g'in gear with the cog-'rim g h @lof thedriving-wheel represented in Fig. 3. The pillow-block terminates in orsupports twojournal-boxes, o n, o n, Fig. 4, for the` sha'i't L y of thespur-[union ejg and,- 'he bevcl-wheel U, the bevel-,wheel U being.ietweeu these two journal boxes, as seerrin Fig. 3. Thelshaft.

L y can be moved lengthwiseiuthese journal-l boxes', so asV to throwithebevebwheel C in or out' oi' gear with the bevel-pinion l) oi' the Thereis'a space ot' aboutk one inch in' extent between the `hub of the bevel-Wheel Gand'the ontsidejonrnalebo o n when the wheel C'is inv gearpand:the gearkey D d just fills this space and 'holds the .wheels in gear,as represented-in Fig. 3. When the wheels are out of geargthe"samedistance exists between the insidejournai-boxv'o n and the shoulder onthe shattL y, so that the'ge'anke'y williit in between the jshoulder ontheshnlt L y and the inside journal-box o n and' hold the wheels out ot'gear. Thus by moving-the shaft lengthwise in the journal-boxes and al-`ternatiug the gear-key from one place to the A other the'wheel U can bcheld. in or out ot' gear, as desired.

The gearkeyis a small smooth casting just large enough to set astridethe shaft L y, and just thick enough to till ythe space between the hubof the'beiel-wbeel C and the outside journal-box o n whenthe wheels arein gear,y It

isrepresented in its place with-the wheels in A gear at D d, Fig. 3, andtwo separate views ot'; it are given at D D, Fig. 3. It is heii/ to itsplace by a. projecting mortise' on tiy/kcy, as

seen at D o, and a tenori on the journal-cap,

as seen at a b, Fig'. 3. .The pillowH/iock also extends downward andacross the-timber Z, to which it-iiialso bolted, and forms tw/o bearingsorlotlrnabboxes for the crank-shaft, one ol' which is -seen at c d c l,Fight/ The 'sam t e, -t'mben One foot (orone ofthe feet) of t e-pi/Ioni-block rests on and is bolted .to-the' imber Bp', and its other twofeet rest'on and re i oltedto/the timber Z.l l

The lower journal box or bearing/of thc crank-shaft, which is marked c dc d in Fig. 4, is marked kl m iu Fig. 3, and the upper jour nal-box ofthe crank-shaft? a/is marked j lc in Fig. 3. The crankshaft Paisthussustained in a perpendicular position and at right angles to thebevebwhcel shalt Ly, This arrangement enables' the cutters to beworkedneari'y way of .the dirt. and graytel, while thegeari'ng Aisconnect-ed to', the eigrim the dritdjing.

preventsthe tinger-bururidknives from .i ingrior springing whencutting,- grain.

i passes.

shoe.-` The-bolts r 1' are removed when theplnt-C secret Wheel 'attliererticulceiiter thereof".` Sufficient strength yinustloe given `tothe IiriilloWf'block to tirmlY support the geuriniglin thispositionVWhile `theinucliine performs its upproprietelabor.

`The main-platform-timberS S,Fig. 7, lies purullel with the lingeribarEBund eirteiidsfsrV ther inwaidtowurd the drivin g-gvheel thunthehoger-bnr, ninlconnects with `the main frame of the machinenear `thedrivi'iig.- wheel by means ofthe ,slotted hunger H. f This casting -orhunger has slots p 7i toadmit the platform.

` folie raisedw and loweredivith the clump and linger-berend correspondto the height thercof. There areaiso slotsefef et its connection \vi.th.the pl'tforintimberS S, through {vhichit is' bolted tothe timber, andwhich ivill allow the timber to more inwardly equal to the dis4 `tencerrniuired by the lateral 'angle on which the l clfnifp isnow `raised andlowered.A This extension zi-ndconneetioii of the platform-timber SV S`to the `ni'stin frame near eoiiiiected"`tB"tbe linger-hambre good degreebendflhe cast-iron' plate G, Fig. 7, is holtedto the platform, as seen,g `h, g Maud this plate also reaches onto tliutfport of the clump whichextends. behind the upright part F e, 'and the suine bolts which holdthe `upright part und theriiniier purtofthe clump toge her toconipressthe finger-,bau as in a visie, alsov pass `through the-pleteGwheu the platform is coii` in ctedfor reul'iiiig, so/that the clumpalso be -comes un important supportto the platform.

. ,'ll'iu't part of thepluiforni which is called'the sdi\"ider, und ismarked limFig. l, and lm im,

Fig. 6isulso bolted to theotside shoe,'K, by,V

There is also two bolts, 'as seen -at i'. i", Fig. 6.

. e cast-iron',staiidurdconnected with this part t offthe..plattformtofstrengthen the salmeand l support thei'ilatl'ornifitt itsconnection with the u in Figs. t5 end 7. .This 'standard is bolted to,

" the` diriderlby 'the bolt op. The bolt falso v posses through itund-theontside shoe, K, es represented `in Fig. 6'. The other bolt 'ralsothrough thefdivider und the outside forni is Vdetached from `tlieVlinger-bur. The

t bolts which pass `throu'gli the clump and-the plate Gr andthe,boltswhicli poss through thel ntiniber S S andthe hunger H are alsoremoved v,when the platform is detached from the fingerber;` 'Thestandz'irdl has several holes through yit,"tind`e ilso through theupright part ot' the divider, as seen i'n Figo, hp g, to ndinit the`axle of'the plutfor-inwlieel O t), (whichwheel supports 'the oiiterendof ,the platform) inorder-gtoobtuin ditereiit heights required forcnt-ting grain.-v The plutt'orni th-usconnected to tlielirenio,iingeiubur, und clump, undl the jentire strength of "the platform andlingerbar iinited'und combined to resist the pressure und strain uponthem when reaping. i t

The endof theeoni'ecting-rod L is made in the driving- 1 wheel bringsmuch ot' the-weight of` the plat `form upoiiet'he driving-wheel; andita-lso, being "his standard is marked I,

- that when the upright. part the form of a. segtifrient of u circle,the center ot the'circle described by the segment (or are) be ingthecenter of the bolt which pussesthroiigh 'the end of thebconnecting-rod and the bundj,

which band incluses the coupling-boxes if if,

that port of the coupling-box which comes in contnct'withithe end of theconnectiiigrod lie-- ing also made circuhir or concave, correspond ingto the end ot' the connecting-rod,-sothat the end ot' thecoiincctiiig'iodjust fills the circular or concave surfaceof thecoupling-box' and allows the connectingrod to be turned on its bolt as ucenter 'and bear equallyagninst the coupling-bound hold it to its placeut any angle upon which the 'coiinectiiig-rodiiiny be Worked. Theconnecting-rod is niarli'ed Lin Fig. 2, in connection withthecoupling-boxes@ j'j f, on u scale otone-hulf otfnll size,'aiid the endthelreof herein described, is marked K n.

he improvements in the'clemp'ereus t'ol "slots, :is shown in Nos. 6 andi', Fig. 9, and corresponding iihs or corrugated surfaces are also madeon washers, osshow-u ut o g, No. 5, Figi 9, 'so thatl theboltswilldr-.iw ihe'eorrugnted surfaces of the .cl-(tmp :indiv-fisherstogether, und` thereby prevent the clamp from .slipping when boltedto'its proper pluce in the friiie.

The upright part ot the bolts ti' 'are inode inst the finger-bnr is*held by-compression, as in a. rise, without bolts- 'I'nissiing/throughthe hoger-bur. -A slight rib israiscd iiithelboitoin ot' the ruimer F o,ns seen at rs, Nos. 8 und whieh Vrib becomes indented i'n thefinger-bur, so ns to prevent the 4iiigerbar from slipping iuthefcleinp,when in use, it' by any cause the compression should become too slightto hold it'secureiy., When the fingerhar is about to be put iniotheeloinp for use the" bolts t r-t r, No.9, Fig. 9, and the bolts whichpass through the slots in the upright purt must be loosened and theupright -pertfF clipped forward iomekciroom to enter the finger-hartoits place-in the runner. 'The upright pui-t1? e is then brought.buclt'to its place und bolted, wedging in und .pressing upon the finger-bur und. .holding it firmly That' part ol'- the,fi'iiger-bur'wliich isin nrked m it o` No. 3, Fig. 8, has `its rear. under edge rounded Vtocorrespoudto the; inner surface o1 the' heck port ofthe ruimer F o,which is alec rounded, (see 'tn t n, Nos. S and 9, Fig. 9,) sc .y of-theclump yis drawn t its plce by the bolts -f r t i' the iiger It'is'ii'uinrepresented in Fig. tS,No.l

the chiinpF c locks into the foundation or rnnnerpart F o, es seen utu,Eig. 2, find also-ut n, No. i),`Fig. 9, und 'when e I i einem.

har is wedged in, compressed, and held yse- Vcureiy to its place in theclamp.

At ya, No. i, Fight), is represented n uitleplete ot' cest-iron.Thispiate is triade cure to the frame at the connections ot' the ciatnp`f to tho frame by screws und bolts, and is for theV the guide-plates isthat when the clump, andv with it the finger-bnr and cutters, are raisedfiom their position i'or inowingto their p'osi' tion for reaping'theywill preser\ethe1se1ue distance, or neeriy so, from vthe crank-shaft, sothat the. same. eonnectingrod will Imake the proper eonnecti on betweenthe cutters and the crank-'shaft without changent its length. There is uprojecting 'finger on the iront part' ofthe clamp, asseeuet dr,No.8,Fig. 9, which comes against the brancher of the' guard-iingerixhenfthe tingerbur is'in its place in the cluuip. (Representednt g 85,Fig. i.)

A perspective View of the several parts of the clamp is giveriin Figi).No.6 represents what is called 'the 9 upright part, andis marked F e.No.7 represents whatiscailed the front part., and is'marked F. No. 8represents what is celled the teundatioii or runner part, and is markedF o. No. 9 is e perspective view of all these parts combined and boltedtogether and forming as a whole what I herein call the clamp The frontpartis.

lbolted tothe ibundation'or runner part by two bolts, VI Vl, andt theupright part is bolted 'to the foundation or minier part by two bolts,l

- t r tr. The froide-plates and clamp are connected toftht'- timbers XJ;r, and Xy ot'their projecting; ends. The bottom or'plute part of thegourd-tingen which laps onto the fingerbar.lis niude Vfour inches wide,or-sutiiciently wide so tha'twhen the guards are fastenedioir to thefinger-bar they will 'form a shield or covering to the linger-bar, undgive strength and stiffness to the finger bur, and protect it fromwearing oh' as itslides over the ground in mowing.

JA bottoni view of thenger-bar, with n tull set ot' guard-fingersfastened 'ou by screws, `-together with the outside shoe, is given No.'3, Fie. 8, and a top view of the same as connected with the clump isseen'irnltig. 1.

The top part of' the guard-finger laps onto the finger-bnr on its uppersurface about one inch, as seen at Qi., Fig. Lend this partis only huitas wide es the bottom puri, which shields the tingerbnr from the ground.The guard.;

finger is feste' ed to the tingefr-bur upon the bottom or nut er sido''ny two or more screws or ',ois, es seen st p n nu, Fig. 8, No. 3..

patent of Jury 20,1852; and its-huge is' test ecute, so thatthree-"quarters" or more' oi the grass or grain is cuta-gainst thestraight part of the guard h f is intendedto. be such` that whenathecutting tooth passes through the. guard an opening v"will be formed inthe ecute anglemade by the bracebergh andthe middle bar, z' o, sothutthe tooth or cutter Wilt do u portion 'if'its cutting on .or ag`inst the middle bur, t' o, and'any obstruction o fine grass or'othermatter upon the cut! Vter con Valso escapeet this opening.

A second' angle is also made in the" brace bar. as seen et ci, bywhiehan opening is mede behind the cutters and between the bruce-har c r audthe plate lport 4of the guard. I cali that part of the guard whichoomes'in Contact with 'the finger-bar the pletepu.rt. (km hm, Fig. 5,'and ,hm him, Fign. No. 3, represent this part.)

The apex of the angle formed by the braccbar g h and c r is two inches,its near as may he,

from the center of the middle har, i o, so`tliat u,- `line drawn fromoneapeX to its opposite is four inches in length, a's near 'as may be.This l makestheguardsmhen on the iingenbrhout fourinches'from center .tocenten. The cutters should vibrate four -inches end one-quarter in' adirect line, so that euch vibrationwill throw the cutters just past thecenter of thegluerd.

AThe open-work construction of the guards is Adesigned to facilitate theescape of any fino grass, gtnmor other mattei-"Which may chance .to bedrawn in between thecutters and the .guards und preventtie cutters fromchoking or clogging. It'also'allows the brace-bers ot' the separateguards to -come together, so that when a. full `set; of' gnardsare onthe'tngerbar they mutually brace-anti support each other, one 'oi'. theoutside guards ybracing against the cltunp und the other aginst theoutside shoe, as seen in Fig. The point of the guard projects aboutseveninches from the plate part, and the slotthrough which the cutters playis about ve inchesin `length, moreor less, and an eighth and sixteenthin width, more or less.

l The cutters being-riveted onto un iron or steel bnr', called thecutter-bar,"7 (b c a., No. 3,

Fig. 9,) which is ono inch Wide and one-fourth inch thick,the-'slotin'the guard behind the cutting-edge ofthe knives must oesuiciently large to edmitth'e cutter-ban, with the knives 'riveted on,nud admit of'its -free play through the slots. This slot is representedat t t, Fig. 5.

A space about halt' an inch. Wide is left. he- .tween the knivesorontters und the plate part ot the 'guard to allow the tine gress,dirt, or

'other' substance which may he deposited on .the cutters to escapebehind the cutters, and also to prevent friction between thecutter-barsud plete part ot'. the'v .guardsn These guards neybe' cast on a chill7o r in the ordinafy l mode'of casting. The singular bracehar t 1L, Fig.l, is placed further trom-thc point ci; the gunrd'than" innig..

yllhe under 'front edge o i' the iingerfbnr is. rounded off tocorrespondtothe plate nari; ef

The angle and position ofthe brucefbur gh' reuma' t s i 5v'"theguard,which is `alse ronnded up, so that the guard will fri: ontothe 'nger4har.andslide' over the ground; like a runner, when mowing.

f; The ontsideshoe.'K, Figs. 5 and 8, is made with reeessand opening,las se'en at i w. This reces and opening i's forthe purpose ofpermittimtf the line grass'; dirt, or ,other matter Awhich may bedrawnvinto the shoe in the 4operation ot' the machine to escape freelybehind `the,blind-tooth which Iworks in the shoe.

The accompanying flrawin gs are on a scale of twoinchesto onefoot,'(except'w`here 'othf erwise mentioned',) whiehwill'giveth v sizeand proportion of each part; herein described. The whole machine, may be:onstructedr by ordinary and 'wellknown methods .of working woedendmetals. i l v The driving-Wheel `is three feetv two inches i'n'diameter,and has sixty-nine driving-cogs 1 'in `the cog-Trim.` .The spur-pinionhas thirteen ,cogfsthe bevel-wheel forty-live cogs, and thelbevel-pinicm twelve :co-gs. V'This arrangement gives nearly forty (orthirty-nine and seven tyouronehundredths) Vibrations of tlielcuatersLtoone revolution ofthe driving-w heel. AJ; B U

` D,-Fig. Lfisrepresented a seatfor the raker, 'and at 0 Bis representedthe drivers seat.

j To gtliefriction-wheel'A (represented in the drew-ings at E, Fig..2)and the tracker.(repre separate applications.

sented in Fig. 5 by letters m 37) I make' n? claim herein', theyeach'bein'g the subject of 'llo the oonneeting'rod and conplinghoxesherein described I make no clnimherein.

lIzlavine; thnssetforth :ny-several improvey ments, what I claimthereinas my inventiom, and desire' to `secnre` byLctters Patent,' is-v.1. The combination `ot' the gear-key D with thev gearing',substantially as set, forth.

i., The extension of theplatfornrtimber S S beyond the linger-har, so asno'co'nnecf; it to' the main frame ot' the' machine near thedriving-Wheel, with the'view ot4 giving strength andstii'ness to theplatform and'bring its weight as much as possible on the main frame nearthe.driving-wheel, substantially as herein set forth. v

As' improvements upon theclanip, the looks fn' and r s, substantially asherein de e ,4f .She improvement of' the second angle,'c' 1', in thebrace-bar ofthe guard-finger, subjstantially as herein-described. i

Bu'alo, March 19, 18.55.r

. ELIAKIMBJFQRBUSH Witnessesr.

i G.'W. SMILTH',

A. B. SMITH.

